Save My Night
by krsw1151
Summary: They were on borrowed time. The clock was ticking faster and faster and there was nothing they could do to slow it down. Assassins AU. Ikarishipping
1. A Sped Up Clock

**Chapter One**

**A Sped Up Clock**

She was on borrowed time, the inevitable would happen sooner or later. It seemed now that with each heartbeat she ended, her clock was speeding up. It was going to stop entirely at some point, the only question was when.

Dawn disappeared into the shadows, already swallowed up and gone by the time the authorities arrived. It had become easier with experience, this dance she did was becoming more and more predictable. The outcome was always the same, just as it always would be.

At least until her clock stopped.

She ran through the empty halls, feet quiet and quick. Her breathing was shallow but she kept it muffled behind a face mask covering her mouth. The mask wasn't there to hide her identity(she was too good of a killer to leave a witness behind). Instead it was to stifle her pain. A pain that was still reflected in her eyes and it glowed in the unshed tears that she refused to let fall.

She ducked into an empty room and hurtled through the window, landing soundlessly in the alley behind the office building. Her breath hitched on impact but she sprang up immediately, her body all too familiar with the movements of this dance with the devil.

She turned the corner, slowing her pace slightly as she came up to the car that was awaiting her arrival, headlights off and the engine quiet. She slipped inside and without a word the driver took off, following a memorized trail that would lead them away.

Dawn tore her mask off as soon as they were in the lit street and her eyes adjusted to the artificial lights. She gulped on air, allowing her body to relax slightly now that the job was complete and they were in the clear. But she refused to let the water in her eyes drip down her cheeks, no matter how much of a relief it might bring her for a few moments. It would end quickly.

There was always another job. There always would be. Her tears wouldn't free her of the lock she had on her heart and soul.

The driver hadn't glanced at her once throughout the whole ordeal, the sight familiar to him. She knew he wouldn't judge her for showing weakness, he was after all in the same fucked up situation. If anyone could understand her pain it was him. But he never showed it, not once since the time the contract was signed.

The silence inside the car was normal. Dawn looked at him from the corner of her eye. His were on the road, narrowed and unwavering, almost as if he were staring down a mortal enemy. And in a way he was. Dawn supposed it was his way of staying completely composed, something she couldn't do even after an entire year. But she had known Paul for years; his composure was so straight, never breaking. It made him strong, invincible in a way, being able to submerge himself in this hell on earth without drowning. It kept him sane, it kept him alive.

It also unfortunately made him an incredible assassin.

A beeping disturbed the quiet and Paul immediately dug in his pocket for the cell phone, eyes never leaving the road. The sound itself was quiet but at the same time it was the loudest sound Dawn ever heard. Every time that beep sounded, it felt like she was losing air, suffocating.

She wanted more than anything than to throw the phone out the window and tell Paul to drive and never stop, never look back. But she couldn't. She had learned that a long time ago.

Paul fished the phone out and answered, putting it on speaker as she took it from his hand. Before either could say anything, a voice crinkled through. "_Is the target gone?"_

"Yes." She answered robotically. "A single shot to heart, he died instantly."

"_Good." _The voice on the other end spoke in a flat tone, absolutely no emotion whatsoever. "_There's another job for you two that came in today."_

Dawn's mouth ran dry and out of the corner of her eye she saw Paul's grip on the steering wheel tighten. It wasn't a surprise that there was another job immediately after this one, there almost always was. Dawn couldn't remember a time where she had more than a week between kills. Perhaps maybe at the beginning when she was learning the ropes, her anguish was harder to hide back then.

Gripping the phone harder, she turned to face the window. "We understand sir, we'll review it once we return to base."

"_It's an important job so make sure you study it intensely."_

"We will."

The call ended and Dawn lowered the phone from her ear. It used to be that her hand would tremble and shake whenever she was on the phone with her "boss", so much so she used to drop the phone. She used to be so scared, she still was, but now she has accepted her fate. She's now aware of her ever ticking clock.

The silence stretched on as they drove. Even before their lives changed, Paul was never a very talkative person. It irritated her when they started this job, his silence only allowing her inner thoughts to plague her every waking moment. But now it comforted her because nothing he could say to comfort her would be true.

It had been a year ago. Only a year ago.

She and Paul were close friends, or at least as close to Paul as you could be. It had been a normal day for them; they were leaving a bar on her birthday, she being to drunk to drive. She hardly ever got tipsy and even though Paul didn't drink that night, he could hold his liquor well. She figured it was a special occasion, you don't turn twenty two everyday. But looking back on it, it was the worst thing to do.

They had been attacked in the parking lot. Paul was a mixed martial artist and Dawn knew self defense, but being drunk and being attacked by seasoned killers, she didn't stand a chance. They got her first and forced Paul to comply when they held a knife to her throat.

They were kidnapped in order to be groomed as assassins. Both of them had been willing to fight back. Even if they died trying it would have been preferable than killing other people for no reason. But that stopped when their "boss" grinned wickedly and said the worst thing imaginable.

"If you did that, then your families wouldn't be around to mourn your loss."

The accompanying surveillance pictures were the final nails in their coffins.

Suicide wasn't even an option for them. They had to kill others in order to keep their families safe. At this point, the best thing that could happen to them was to get killed by their target or the police.

But they were too good for that to happen.

Paul steered the car into an alley and turned the engine off. The quiet was louder than ever. Dawn could feel his eyes staring at the back of her head.

"Five minutes." He said monotonously.

The one thing Paul could give her that could be anywhere freedom was time, but only a few minutes here and there. And for that Dawn was eternally grateful.

She nodded without saying anything, the tears finally escaping her eyes.

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**Thanks for reading! Chapter 2 up soon.**


	2. It's All Over

**Here it is! Chapter 2! I know its been awhile but my excuse is college. I just started so its been a little hectic but now that I've fallen into the rhythm, I should have more free time to write. So I really hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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**Chapter Two**

**It's All Over**

The sounds of gunfire, thuds and screams echoed throughout the open space of the warehouse. Dawn dove out of the way in the nick of time, wincing when her arm rubbed against the car she hid behind. It wasn't a severe wound but it was certainly enough to feel it. Paul crouched beside her, blood soaking through his jacket and face set in an angry, determined grimace. They were both breathing heavily as bullets whizzed by them. Dawn peered around just enough to pinpoint her target and fire, a direct hit.

The job was supposed to be easy. A simple meet and exchange, this time between a gang who wanted the drugs their boss supplied. There had never been any issues with the gang in the past so it was only Dawn and Paul on the assignment.

Obviously something changed.

"How many are left?" Dawn gasped out as a the car shook from bullets planting themselves inside.

Paul shot off a few rounds and then ducked down to reload. "Now, only ten."

"Fuck." She was almost out of ammo and she was sure Paul was down to his last clip by the way his face changed angry to really pissed off. "I think we're screwed."

"We've been screwed for a long time."

Dawn allowed a small smile. What he said wasn't even the least bit funny, but maybe the insanity of being on the brink of death was affecting her. "I don't got enough bullets for ten."

Paul looked down at her. This wasn't the first time they had been backed into a corner, though this time was perhaps the most dire. The first time, Dawn had been ready to throw in the towel and let them kill her but Paul stopped her, knowing that their boss would find out they gave up somehow. That threat was always a constant reminder.

Paul stared at her with a look that made her heaving breaths slow. It was a more intense version of his normal glare, one that saw through her and saw everything she was thinking. Dawn knew it was not the time to think it, but he looked really handsome in that moment. She gave him a very weak, resigned smile. Maybe in another life could they be something aside from literal partners in crime. Maybe in another life, but certainly not in this one.

She gripped her gun tighter. "I think we might have a chance if we make a run for it," she nodded her head in the direction of the exit, their car parked just outside. "We cover each other, make it to that barrel and then dash outside."

Paul didn't consider for long. "You go first," he fished the keys out and handed them to her. Their fingers brushed. His were dry, blood stained and warm. She vaguely wondered if she would ever hold his hand again. "On my mark."

She slipped the keys in her pocket as Paul got in position. She crouched and pointed her gun out, ready to run. She felt as if her clock was ticking even faster than normal and had a fleeting thought that this was probably it.

Her mother's face appeared in her minds eye. She was smiling in her vision, waving goodbye. Dawn still saw her on a regular basis and each time, the last thing she saw of her was her mother smiling and waving goodbye, usually from her front porch. Every time Dawn was out of range of her she would break down in tears. It hurt her to see her, knowing that her life was literally in her hands.

Dawn didn't think that she would see her again after this.

"Go."

Dawn kept low and ran. A bullet planted itself in the concrete where her feet had just been. She heard a cry of pain behind her but kept running. She leaped behind the barrel, breathing labored. She only gave herself a second to compose herself before she turned to cover Paul.

She managed to take down two guys but in the process ran out of bullets. When Paul joined her, she gave a dry laugh, lips pulling into an almost happy smile. "Guess that's it then."

"Hold it together," he gripped her shoulder tight enough to make her wince and he glared at her. "I've got still got three rounds."

"And there are four guys left. We're done," tears pricked her eyes and her smile fell. She glared at him too, but her eyes held no malice. Just resignation and pain. "It's over, Paul. We tried."

"I won't settle for trying," he sat up. "I'll cover you. You just make it to the car and get out of here."

Her eyes widened. "And leave you behind? Like hell I will!"

"We don't have time for this, Dawn!" He snapped. "There's no chance for both of us to get out of here but one of us might be able to. So get the hell out of here and I'll take down as many as I can."

Pain. Everything hurt at his statement. Her head started to pound, her stomach clenched so hard she felt as if she would throw up. And her heart...

Her heart felt as if it had stopped beating. She was always aware that Paul would do anything to make sure she lived, he had proven it time and time again. But she knew there was no possible way he would survive this time. His time was almost up, and they both knew it.

She wanted to stay. She wanted that more than anything. But she couldn't and she knew that. Without a working weapon, she was dead weight, just a hindrance now. Paul was willing to use his final means for her.

All she could do now was close her mouth and nod. He nodded back and tore his gaze from her, readying himself for the final showdown. She swallowed down bile and when he said go, she took off.

Gunfire resounded in her head. She heard the three shots from Paul's gun and the cries of three people dying, knowing it was over now.

She made it to the exit but before she could step foot outside an intense pain shot up her arm and traveled through her body. She cried out and clutched her arm but kept running. Her blood quickly wetted her hand, the red lit up by the moonlight.

She made it to the car and only when she made it inside did she realize how quiet and still the air was. No gunfire, no screaming, there was nothing. The silence was deafening and never before had she hated it.

She bit her lip and fumbled with the keys, the pain from her wound, a deep graze, overtaking her senses.

And then she heard it. A final gun shot. And then it became quiet again.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted it to be over.

She turned the key and the engine rumbled to life. She was about to floor it and get out of here but a figure staggered to the exit.

Her heart stilled as she looked at Paul. His leg was heavily injured and he was wincing from the effort but he was alive.

She dove outside and was able to get him in the car. "Paul! How-?"

"Just go," he whispered. Dawn didn't question him.

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**Thanks for reading! Chapter 3 coming soon!**


	3. Save My Night

**Here's Chapter 3! This is definitely not one of my best stories, but it was a lot of fun to write. Enjoy and thanks for reading!**

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**Chapter Three**

**Save My Night**

Paul was a master of hiding emotion, but even Dawn could tell how much pain he was in. He tried to mask it but the wince was obvious as she dabbed at his mangled leg with disinfectant. Her arm, already bandaged, still throbbed and a sting of pain shot through her every time she moved it too quickly. Paul kept his leg steady as she worked, focusing his gaze on the dart board on the wall over her shoulder. They were in a run down bar, one of their organization's safe houses. He was sitting on one of the bar stools, leg propped up on another as Dawn stood to tend to her work. The only noise that broke the silence was when either of them would intake breath sharply from a stab of pain.

On her part, Dawn couldn't wrap her head around what just happened and how they were both still alive. Paul was able to take three of the four gang members out with his remaining ammunition and had waited for the last one, the one who shot her, to finish him off. But for some reason, the guy had wanted a fist fight. Paul had said it was some twisted way for him to make the odds even for them. Unlucky for the guy, Paul was in one hell of an adrenaline rush and fought and won very quickly, but the man had managed to fuck up Paul's leg before he went down. The gunshot she heard was Paul using the guy's gun to finish the job.

She finished cleaning the wound and reached for the bandages on the counter. There was a lot of blood and Dawn bit her lip to distract herself. He had been so ready to die so she could escape, had even blatantly said so himself. And yet here he was, alive and breathing.

"What were you thinking about?" Her mouth expelled the words in a whisper.

He shifted so he could look at her but Dawn kept her gaze locked on his leg, wrapping the bandages around and around, cringing as the red blood seeped through and stained the white.

"The job," he answered gruffly.

"No," she sighed, "I'm talking about when you were ready to die."

He was silent for a minute, processing her words. "I've been prepared to die for a long time."

She hummed, expecting that answer. "But what about tonight? We've never been that close before."

He didn't answer her. Often times when she brought up questions like this, he tended to not answer or avoid the question. So, she started talking for him.

"Remember when we met at college? When Ash introduced us?" She smiled softly at the memory. "I was trying to get into the sorority but I needed to play beer pong with a senior in order to start the pledging process. I would've asked Ash if he wasn't such a bad shot when he's drunk," she laughed a little, fingers slowing down in her work. "That's when he introduced us. And the first thing I thought of was how much you looked like you wanted to be literally anywhere but that party."

Her hands stilled. "I never thought we'd end up here."

She didn't look at him, couldn't look at him. But she felt his heavy stare boring a hole into her body. The intense gaze made her shiver involuntarily.

"When I ran out of bullets, all I could think about was my mom," her voice trembled a little. "After dad died, I'm all she has. If I died, she'd be all alone." The image of her mother waving goodbye flitted through her again. "She's done so much for me, I couldn't bear to leave her alone. And yet... earlier, I was ready. I saw the end and all I felt like doing was to run towards it."

Paul didn't say anything, he just let her speak her mind. Her hands resumed working on his leg. "But when I heard that last gunshot... all I could think about was you dead and..." tears stung her eyes and she inhaled shakily. "I didn't know how to react. You didn't really give me much time to either. Between my arm and the rush to get out of there, I couldn't really think. But now I'm able to."

She finished wrapping the bandages, making sure they were tight and secure. Her fingers lingered, her touch feather light. Paul wasn't an easy one to break but all the blood reminded her that he was human, that they both were. They could be here one second and gone the next.

"I'm willing to fight," she whispered. "I'm willing to fight until the end. But if you die... I won't be able to fight anymore."

A hand rested on hers once the words left her lips. She didn't look at him, focusing her attention on their hands. His were so much larger; calloused and scared and had done so many horrible things. His touch wasn't light like hers. Instead, he gripped her hand hard, like he was pulling her off a ledge and back to safety.

"Look at me."

She really didn't want to. She knew that if she looked him in the eye she wouldn't be able to hold back.

"Dawn."

She looked.

Just as expected, one look at those dark, serious eyes had her letting go of everything. She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her tears started falling and her body started to shake as she kissed him with a desperation only someone on the verge of death could possess. She felt his arms go around her waist, pulling her towards him as close as she could possibly be. The fervor that he returned in their kiss mirrored hers. She tightened her hold on his shoulders. The longer they kissed, the more air she needed, but she couldn't stop. The need was reminding her that she was alive. That he was alive. That they were alive.

When they did eventually break away, Dawn didn't lean away from him. She just put enough distance between them to gulp in oxygen. He was breathing just as hard. Paul's eyes bored into hers, not letting her break eye contact.

"Don't give up like that again. This is more than just us." She gave a tiny nod. "Say it."

"I won't," she breathed and Paul pulled her back to him.

Her tears stopped flowing, for now at least. This wasn't the life she wanted. And she knew it was only a matter of time before it would be over. But tonight, tonight she was okay. Whether he realized it or not, Paul had saved her tonight. And that was all that mattered to her.

They would have more nights like this. More nights where they needed this connection they shared to prove that they were still alive and willing to fight to see the next sunrise.

She would never give up again if it meant seeing Paul breath.

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**Thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoyed this little story!**


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